Baby bites while feeding: what to do, how to stop biting mom

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Motherhood is the most beautiful thing in the life of any woman, however, and it is not without its various problems. Sleepless nights, bloating, solid foods and more. But it also happens that the child bites during feeding. What to do in this case? This question worries many young mothers and not without reason. After all, when a baby's first teeth begin to erupt, breastfeeding can turn into real torture. What could be the reason for this and are there any ways to wean the baby from a negative habit? Let's look into this in more detail.

Main reasons

Why does a baby bite mom while feeding? Let's dwell on this in more detail. This is a very common problem known to many women. At the same time, it is encountered not only during teething. Babies may squeeze their gums too hard on the nipple, which will also cause pain.

According to experts, this can be caused by the following:

1. Teething. It is accompanied by severe itching, and in some cases even pain. In addition, the baby may not feel well. To alleviate their condition, babies can use any possible means: gnaw on surrounding objects, bite their fingers and mother's breasts.
2. Curiosity. As they grow older, the baby begins to more actively learn about the world around them. Babies just don't know what will happen if they bite harder on their mother's breasts. Such interest is caused by the psycho-emotional development of the baby.
3. Incorrect attachment. If the mother correctly holds the baby in her arms during feeding, then the baby is not physically able to bite, because his gums and teeth simply do not reach the nipple. But many young mothers do not know how to properly apply. This is the most common reason why a baby bites while feeding at 1-2 months.
4. Playing with mom. Children as young as 3 months old may bite on the nipple even if they are not very hungry. This can be regarded as a kind of game, during which the baby interacts with the mother by biting the breast and moving it in different directions. Such activities contribute to the development of new skills. For example, the movements of the lips and tongue are mastered.
5. Low milk. Some women may have poor lactation, causing the baby to be nervous from a strong feeling of hunger. Dissatisfaction can manifest itself in the form of moodiness, tearfulness and biting.
6. Stuffy nose. With difficulty breathing, babies cannot properly graspbreast. Because of the discomfort, he hurts his mother.

If a baby bites while feeding (what to do will be discussed a little later), it is important to understand why this happens. After all, without knowing the problem, it is impossible to solve it. All doctors give different recommendations, but this article will provide the most effective advice.

What can be done to solve the problem?

If the baby bites hard when feeding (what to do depends on the specific reason), then the mother should try to show him her displeasure. How, you ask? Very easy - to take away the breast. At the same time, you need to say with a calm facial expression and intonation: "It's impossible! Mom hurts." The baby will not like this and will whine, but feeding should be continued after about 10 minutes. And so you need to do every time the baby hurts. Over time, the baby will understand everything and stop biting. There are situations when the nipple is bitten. In this case, you can not feed until the blood stops completely.

Teething

This natural physiological phenomenon causes great pain to babies. In addition, he may feel unwell and feel bad. To get rid of discomfort, children begin to gnaw on everything that comes to hand. Mom's breasts also periodically suffer. Despite their young age, children have very sharp teeth and strong jaws, so every bite hurts a woman. Many young parents are interested in the question of how to wean a child from biting his mother whenfeeding, if teething has begun. At first glance, it may seem that there is no solution to the problem, but it is not. The following tips will help you:

1. For your baby to fall asleep faster, let him suckle at the breast for about 15 minutes, then gently place him in the crib.
2. Be prepared to bite at every feed. If the baby begins to squeeze the nipple too hard, then carefully insert your finger into his mouth and remove it.
3. To ease the baby's well-being and reduce pain, you can give a little bit of a teether before feeding, which is pre-cooled in the refrigerator.
4. Special gels can be used to relieve itching and pain, however, you can smear them on the gums no more than twice a day.
5. If a baby bites the breast while feeding, gum massage will help reduce the likelihood of this. By doing it several times a day, you can reduce the chance of injury.

If the cause of biting is really erupting teeth, then over time the problem will disappear on its own. You just need to be patient and wait until all the molars finally come out.

Stuffy nose

This is another very common problem in which the baby bites the nipple during feeding. This is due to the fact that the baby experiences severe discomfort while eating. It is difficult for him to breathe and he begins to show dissatisfaction with the fact that he bites his chest. Faced with this, you need to be very careful, because a stuffy nose canindicate the presence of any disease requiring treatment. It will not be superfluous to show the baby to the doctor so that he examines him, and, if necessary, prescribes a suitable therapy program.

To help the baby a little, it is necessary to clean the nasal passages, removing secretions from them that prevent normal airflow. During feeding, you need to keep the baby in a strictly upright position so that the channels do not become clogged with mucus.

Incorrect latching

So the baby bites while feeding. What to do depends on each individual case. Oddly enough, but the mother herself may be to blame. Many modern people cannot imagine their life without TV and mobile gadgets, so they are often distracted from the baby by extraneous matters. If she incorrectly attaches her child to her chest, then it will begin to slide down. As a result of this, the nipple will be very deep in the mouth, which will certainly end in a bite. And the kid is not to blame here. He becomes uncomfortable eating and tries to tell his mom about it.

There is no need to take any action to avoid the problem. From you it will be enough just to monitor the position of the child during feeding. According to doctors, the mouth should cover the areola around the nipple. It is desirable that the tongue is located on the lower jaw and protrudes slightly forward. In this case, the possibility of a bite is completely excluded.

Baby doesn't want to eat

If a baby bites while feeding,then this may indicate that he has already eaten and decided to just play a little with his mother's breasts. This is stated not only by experts, but also by many parents. In addition, the baby may begin to fall asleep and unconsciously squeeze the nipple too hard with her mouth. There are no universal tips here that will solve the problem. Each case is different, so you must constantly monitor your baby. As soon as you learn about the peculiarities of his habits, you will understand when he ate, in what cases he wanted to play a little or attract attention.

How to react to bites?

The right response is one of the most important aspects. Some moms start raising their voice or even shaking if the baby bites hard on the breast while feeding. It is not right. In the vast majority of cases, bites occur on a subconscious level, so the kids do not even suspect that they caused pain. Do not pull the nipple out of the baby's mouth too sharply and strongly. It is also necessary to refrain from swearing, no matter how difficult it may be. A loud cry can frighten a baby and lead to the development of a psychological trauma that will remain with him for life and can turn into complexes and various other problems in adolescence or more mature age.

How to loosen breasts?

Let's take a closer look at this aspect. If the baby bites during feeding, then the mother should know how to properly release the nipple from his mouth. It is not worth pulling it out sharply, as this can injureskin is much stronger. Especially such a risk arises when the baby has already erupted several teeth. Experts advise not to make sudden movements, but, on the contrary, to press the crumbs to yourself so that he buries his nose in his chest. This way he won't be able to breathe and will have to open his jaws.

An alternative is to keep your finger at the ready. As soon as the baby bites on the nipple, you need to carefully put it in your mouth, and press your chin with your thumb and slowly open your jaws and release your chest.

How to wean from a bad habit?

So, the baby bites while feeding, what should I do? Let's take a closer look at this issue. First of all, you need to show him that it is impossible to do this. There is a close psychological relationship between babies and mothers, so the absence of a breast is a very big fear. This can be used to wean the baby from a bad habit. If he bit you, then stop feeding for a while. At the same time, you should not swear, but calmly talk with the child trying to explain that biting is bad. Undoubtedly, from the first time he will not understand anything, but if you repeat this constantly, then over time the baby will learn the lesson.

If there is no reaction to the conversations and the baby continues to play with the breast, causing you pain, then you need to stop feeding and put him in the crib, leaving him alone for a while. After a few minutes, you can try breastfeeding your baby again. Similar steps must be repeated for eachbite. At the same time, the mother should remain absolutely calm, not showing strong emotions and anger. But be prepared for the fact that the first time the child does not learn the seriousness of your intentions. Therefore, you will have to remind him of this. Praise-based tactics work with children as young as one year of age. If during the feeding there was not a single bite, then you need to caress the baby and praise him. So he will learn much faster what is good and what is bad.

Recommendations of Dr. Komarovsky

The well-known Russian pediatrician is considered one of the best specialists in the field of care and upbringing of children. If a baby bites during feeding, Komarovsky is convinced that this is most often associated with improper attachment to the breast. Observing a special technique, the baby will never hurt his mother, even if all his teeth have already erupted. According to the doctor, the reason for this is that young children have developed oral perception. He learns the world around him through his mouth, so it is not surprising that children occasionally bite their mothers.

It is worth refraining from trying to forcibly take the breast, because the harm from this will be much more than good. If the baby has bitten the nipple, then it is better to take it with the help of the little finger. It is carefully pushed into the corner of the mouth and the jaws are gently unclenched. There is also an easier option. If the baby painfully bit you on the nipple, then press it to your chest. You will be pleasantly surprised, but it will not only ease the pressure of the jaws. But he will open his mouth. This is one of the simplest but most effective ways to solve the problem of bites.

If a baby bites his breast during feeding, then this is not a reason to transfer him to artificial feeding. Infant formula is significantly inferior to mother's milk in terms of nutritional value. But this should not be left unattended either. You must adhere to a consistent line of action, not succumbing to the tantrums and provocations of the child. At the same time, you should not scold and feel sorry for the baby too much. If you constantly go for indulgences and turn a blind eye to all misconduct, then it will not end in anything good.

Conclusion

Every mother has experienced bites during feeding at least once in her life. This is one of the most common problems associated with nursing babies. However, it can be easily solved using one of the methods described in this article. And if they do not decide anything, then during feeding you can wear special breast pads. They prevent the baby from taking the breast too deeply into his mouth, as a result of which he simply cannot bite. But it’s better to be patient a little and make some efforts, and wean the child from a bad habit. After all, the upbringing of children should begin at an early age. Only then will he grow up to be a good person.